This study examines the implementation and effectiveness of community services order and rehabilitation of offenders within the context of Eldoret of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The specific objectives were: to assess the effectiveness of community service programme in rehabilitating offenders; to highlight the communities attitudes and perceptions towards community service; to investigate the kind of crimes /offences committed by people who are sentenced by courts to do community service; to evaluate the general and salient challenges facing the correctional agenda of community service programme; to identify the constraints faced by offenders in the work placement agencies.
The data for this study was collected from primary and secondary sources. The study comprised of a random sample of 220 respondents composed of male serving offenders’, women serving offenders, men who completed serving and women who completed serving. The focus group discussion participants included 8 community members, 8 victims and 4 local chiefs. A cross- sectional survey based on sample of eleven major estates was applied (Huruma, town Centre, Maili Nne, Mwanzo, Kamukunji, West Indies, Kipkaren, Pioneer, Langas, Chepkoilel and Air strip) within Eldoret Municipality. The data from completed questionnaires were cleaned, coded and entered into the computer and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The study findings indicates that the community service is an effective way of creating a favourable environment for the victims and offenders to reconcile.
The study also confirmed that the community service programme was an alternative measure to imprisonment and accelerates reconciliation between offenders with their victims as well as with their communities. This facilitates their reintegration into the community. Additionally, the finding established the need for community service programme as a non-custodial measure that should further be strengthened and supported by the government and stake holders. The implementation of such programme should be seen as responsibility of every Kenyan and endeavours should be made for its success as a new intervention to replace physical imprisonment. Since the area under study is representative, of the community service order implementation in Kenya; the finding have a potentiality for national application. The study adds knowledge to the area of community service order as a penal reform measure.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
- Background to the Study
- Statement of the Problem
- Research Questions
- The Objectives of the Study
- Hypotheses prepositions
- Justification and Significance of the Study
- Scope of the Study
- Outline of Chapters
- CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
- Introduction
- Historical Background of Punishment
- Various Perspectives of Punishment
- Punishment as Retribution
- Punishment as Deterrent
- Punishment as a Rehabilitative Measure
- Desistance rehabilitative measures
- Development of Community Service: International Perspective
- Community Service Experience in North America
- Community Service Experience in New Zealand and Australia
- Community Service Experience in Western Europe
- Community Service in Ireland
- Community service experience in Zimbabwe
- Community service Experience in Uganda
- The Kenyan Experience with Community Service
- Prison reforms in Kenya
- Probation Sentences as a means of decongesting prisons
- Gaps in literature
- Reparation and Restorative Justice
- Theoretical framework
- Behaviourist Theories in Working with Offenders
- Social Learning theories
- Social Cognitive Theory
- Pro-Social Modelling
- CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- Introduction
- Geographical Location of the Study Area
- Research Design
- Target Population
- Sampling procedure and sample Size
- Sample Size
- Methods of data collection
- Interview schedule
- Interview guide
- Observation
- Focus Group Discussions
- Key Informant Interviews
- Reliability and validity of Research Instruments
- Validity of Research Instruments
- Reliability of research Instruments
- Methods of Data Analysis
- Problems encountered in the field
- Ethical considerations
- CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS
- Introduction
- Background information of the respondents
- Sex of the respondents
- Age of the Respondents
- Marital Status of the respondents
- Level of Education of the respondents
- Occupational Status of respondents
- Community Service Order
- Respondents' Knowledge of community service order
- Kinds of Offences Committed by Community service offenders
- Community's, stakeholders Attitudes and Perceptions towards Community Service
- Attitudes To Community Service Order
- Key Informants Perception towards Offenders on Community Service
- Perception of Victims towards Community Service Order
- Perception of Offenders and Ex-offenders regarding Community Service
- Benefits/Strength of the Community Service Programme
- Benefit to the Community
- Benefits to the Offender
- Community service programme as a way of reconciliation between the victim and offender
- Preferred mode of sentence in the judicial system
- Offenders prior knowledge on community service order
- Community service and reformation of the offenders
- Recommended Offenders for Community Service Intervention
- Weaknesses of the Community Service Programme
- Overall Effectiveness of the Community Service Programme
- The Community
- The Victims
- The Offender
- The Judiciary
- Critical appraisal of community service and rehabilitating offenders
- Challenges facing Community service programme
- Research prepositions
- CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARIES OF THE FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Introduction
- Summary of the findings
- Conclusion
- Recommendations
- Suggestion for further study
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study aims to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of community service orders as a non-custodial sentencing option for non-serious offenders in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. It explores the historical context of punishment, various perspectives on its purpose, and the evolution of community service internationally and within Kenya. The research also investigates the attitudes and perceptions of various stakeholders, including offenders, victims, and the community, towards community service programs.
- The effectiveness of community service orders in rehabilitating offenders.
- The perceptions and attitudes of different stakeholders (offenders, victims, community) towards community service.
- The historical and international context of community service and its development in Kenya.
- The challenges and strengths of implementing community service programs in Kenya.
- The role of community service in reconciliation between victims and offenders.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: This chapter sets the stage for the study by introducing the concept of community service orders in Kenya as a relatively new sentencing option. It explores the evolving understanding of crime as a social construct influenced by culture and historical perspectives, contrasting consensus and conflict views on the function of legal systems. The chapter also touches upon historical approaches to understanding criminal behavior, from physiognomy to the emergence of formal legal systems in colonial and post-colonial Kenya, highlighting the shift from traditional African systems of justice.
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the literature on punishment, tracing its historical evolution and exploring various perspectives, including retribution, deterrence, and rehabilitation. It examines the international experience with community service, detailing its development and implementation in different regions, including North America, New Zealand, Australia, Western Europe, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. The chapter then focuses on the Kenyan context, including prison reforms and the use of probation sentences. Critically, it identifies gaps in the existing literature and introduces relevant theoretical frameworks, such as behaviourist, social learning, social cognitive theories, and pro-social modelling, which provide a lens for analyzing the effectiveness of community service in offender rehabilitation.
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This chapter details the research design and methodology employed in the study. It specifies the geographical location (Uasin Gishu County, Kenya), outlines the research design, and defines the target population and sampling procedures used to determine sample size. The chapter further explains the various data collection methods used, including interviews (schedules and guides), observations, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. A detailed description of the procedures to ensure reliability and validity of the research instruments is also presented, followed by an explanation of the data analysis methods and the ethical considerations undertaken.
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS: This chapter presents and analyzes the collected data. It begins by providing background information on the respondents, including demographics such as sex, age, marital status, education, and occupation. The core of the chapter then delves into the analysis of community service orders, examining respondents’ knowledge of the program, the types of offenses involved, and the attitudes and perceptions of various stakeholders (community members, victims, offenders, and key informants) towards community service. The analysis explores the perceived benefits, strengths, and weaknesses of the program, as well as its overall effectiveness in rehabilitating offenders and fostering reconciliation between offenders and victims.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Community service order, offender rehabilitation, restorative justice, Kenya, Uasin Gishu County, sentencing, non-custodial sentences, victim-offender reconciliation, criminal justice, social learning theory, behaviourist theories, perceptions, attitudes, effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the main topic of this study?
This study examines the efficacy and effectiveness of community service orders as a non-custodial sentencing option for non-serious offenders in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. It explores the attitudes and perceptions of various stakeholders (offenders, victims, and the community) towards community service programs and its role in offender rehabilitation and victim-offender reconciliation.
What are the key objectives of the research?
The research aims to investigate the effectiveness of community service orders in rehabilitating offenders, analyze the perceptions and attitudes of different stakeholders towards community service, explore the historical and international context of community service and its development in Kenya, identify the challenges and strengths of implementing community service programs in Kenya, and examine the role of community service in reconciliation between victims and offenders.
What is included in the Table of Contents?
The Table of Contents covers five chapters: Chapter One (Introduction), Chapter Two (Literature Review and Theoretical Framework), Chapter Three (Research Methodology), Chapter Four (Presentation and Data Analysis), and Chapter Five (Summaries of the Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations). Each chapter is further divided into subsections detailing specific aspects of the research.
What theoretical frameworks are used in this study?
The study utilizes behaviourist theories, social learning theories, social cognitive theory, and pro-social modelling to analyze the effectiveness of community service in offender rehabilitation. These frameworks provide a lens for understanding how community service impacts offender behavior and attitudes.
What research methods were employed?
The research employed a mixed-methods approach, including interviews (structured and semi-structured), observations, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The study details procedures to ensure the reliability and validity of the research instruments and outlines the data analysis methods used.
Who were the participants in the study?
The participants included offenders, victims, community members, and key informants involved in the community service program in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Demographic data on participants (age, gender, marital status, education, occupation) are collected and analyzed.
What are the key findings discussed in the study?
Chapter Four presents and analyzes data on respondents' knowledge of community service, types of offenses involved, and stakeholder attitudes and perceptions. The analysis explores the benefits, strengths, and weaknesses of the program and assesses its overall effectiveness in rehabilitation and reconciliation. Chapter Five summarizes these findings, presents conclusions, and offers recommendations for future research and practice.
What are the key challenges and strengths of community service programs in Kenya, according to the study?
The study identifies both the strengths and weaknesses of community service programs in Kenya, drawing on data from various stakeholders. These insights are crucial for improving the effectiveness and implementation of community service as a sentencing option. Specific challenges and strengths are detailed in Chapter Four and summarized in Chapter Five.
What are the conclusions and recommendations of the study?
Chapter Five presents the study's conclusions based on the analysis of findings. The chapter also includes recommendations for improving community service programs in Kenya, as well as suggestions for further research to enhance understanding of this sentencing option's efficacy and effectiveness.
What are the keywords associated with this research?
Keywords include: Community service order, offender rehabilitation, restorative justice, Kenya, Uasin Gishu County, sentencing, non-custodial sentences, victim-offender reconciliation, criminal justice, social learning theory, behaviourist theories, perceptions, attitudes, effectiveness.
- Quote paper
- Kiba Daniel Kurui (Author), 2008, A Study on Community Service Order in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/490365
